Silt fence apparatus and method of construction

Abstract

The invention is a silt screen fence assembly which combines the use of a polymeric silt screen fabric with or without a plastic reinforcement member and a thermoplastic support stake with a hot melt adhesive to attach the silt screen fabric with or without the reinforcement member to the support stake to provide an extremely durable and tenacious bond of the screen fabric to the support stake so as to overcome the inherent problems with prior art silt screen fences wherein the mechanical bond is initially significantly weakened due to penetrating, cutting, punching, or thinning out the silt screen or reinforcement material upon assembly.

1 . A silt fence for preventing soil erosion at construction sites, said silt fence comprising:
 a plurality of spaced apart stake members, each of said plurality of stake members having a longitudinal body terminating at one end into a pointed end so as to enable anchoring of each of said plurality of stake members into the ground at said construction site;   a flexible fabric intimately disposed contiguous each of said plurality of stake members and spanning the distance between said plurality of stake members; and   means for adhesively attaching said flexible fabric to one of said plurality of stake members at predetermined intervals whereby when said silt fence is mounted in a vertical position, across the anticipated direction of water flow, said flexible fabric will allow the passage of water but encourage the deposition of any sediment being carried by said water such that said sediment builds up on the upstream side of said flexible fabric resulting in said flexible fabric ultimately tending to bury itself.   
   
   
       2 . A silt fence for preventing soil erosion at construction sites, said silt fence comprising:
 at least two spaced apart stake members, each of said at least two spaced apart stake members having a longitudinal body terminating at one end into a pointed end so as to enable anchoring said at least two spaced apart stake members into the ground at said construction site;   a flexible fabric intimately disposed contiguous each of said at least two spaced apart stake members and spanning the distance between said at least two spaced apart stake members; and   means for adhesively attaching said flexible fabric to said at least two spaced apart stake members, whereby when said silt fence is mounted in a vertical position, across the anticipated direction of water flow, said flexible fabric will allow the passage of water but encourage the deposition of any sediment being carried by said water such that said sediment builds up on the upstream side of said flexible fabric resulting in said flexible fabric ultimately tending to bury itself.   
   
   
       3 . A method of making a silt fence, said method comprising the steps of:
 provide a roll of permeable silt fabric;   provide a plurality of longitudinal stakes, each of said plurality of stakes having one end terminating in a pointed end;   permanently attach one end of said roll of permeable silt fabric to one of said plurality of stakes using a non-permeable fastening means;   rotate said one of said plurality of stakes on its longitudinal axis and wind said roll of permeable silt fabric around said one of said plurality of stakes;   at a preselected interval provide another of said plurality of stakes and permanently attach said roll of permeable silt fabric to said another of said plurality of stakes using said non-permeable fastening means;   continue to rotate said one of said plurality of stakes on its longitudinal axis and wind said roll of permeable silt fabric around said one and said another of said plurality of stakes and repeat said permanent attachment of said plurality of stakes until a roll is formed.   
   
   
       4 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said flexible fabric is a woven fabric. 
   
   
       5 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said flexible fabric is a perforated sheet. 
   
   
       6 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said flexible fabric is manufactured from plastic selected from olefin polymers, nylon, fiberglass, vinyl resins, or polyesters. 
   
   
       7 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said olefin polymers are selected from polypropylene and polyethylene. 
   
   
       8 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said adhesive is a fast cure adhesive. 
   
   
       9 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said fast cure adhesive is a hot melt adhesive. 
   
   
       10 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said adhesive is a fast cure hot melt adhesive. 
   
   
       11 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a reinforcement member interposed said flexible fabric and each of said plurality of stake members such that said flexible fabric member and said reinforcement member are simultaneously attached to each of said plurality of stake members. 
   
   
       12 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said flexible fabric, said reinforcement member and each of said plurality of stake members are a thermoplastic material selected from the group of olefin polymers, nylon, fiberglass or vinyl resins. 
   
   
       13 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said flexible fabric is a woven fabric. 
   
   
       14 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said flexible fabric is a perforated sheet. 
   
   
       15 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said flexible fabric is manufactured from plastic selected from olefin polymers, nylon, fiberglass, vinyl resins or polyester. 
   
   
       16 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said adhesive is a fast cure adhesive. 
   
   
       17 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said fast cure adhesive is a hot melt adhesive. 
   
   
       18 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said adhesive is a hot melt adhesive. 
   
   
       19 . The silt fence as claimed in the  claim 2  further comprising a reinforcement member interposed said flexible fabric and each of said at least two spaced apart stake members such that said flexible fabric and said reinforcement member are simultaneously attached to each of said at least two spaced apart stake members. 
   
   
       20 . The silt fence as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said flexible fabric, said reinforcement member, and each of said at least two spaced apart stake members are a thermoplastic material selected from the group of olefin polymers, nylon, fiberglass, or vinyl resins.